Absorption of the vitamins contained in the pill is an essential element in determining the efficiency of the product.
The Test and Methods
Five of the leading national brands of multi-vitamin tablet were selected for the study. These were: Brand 1 (for all ages groups), Brand 2 (from the same company, but designed for seniors), and Brands 3, 4, and 5 (each designed for all age groups). In each test, one tablet of each brand was placed in either water (25 ml at 25C) or white distilled vinegar (25 ml at 25C). The flask was gently shaken at 5 minute intervals over a period of 1 hour. The appearance of the mass of the tablet and the solution were observed and noted throughout the course of the experiment. Tests were repeated 4 - 6 times.
Results
Tablet appearance:Brand 1: Pale orange oval;
Brand 2: Silver oval;
Brand 3: Bright red shiny oval;
Brand 4: Pale green oval with dark flecks;
Brand 5: Bright red shiny round.
In all tests, the tablets failed to dissolve. The residues were generally gray/white with globules of other colored material interspersed. These globules were most likely oil soluble material such as beta-carotene. All samples, both in water and vinegar, exhibited a scum on the top of the liquid. The liquid above the solid mass varied in color and composition from almost clear (Brand 3, vinegar and water), through a pale yellow solution (Brand 4, water) to a thick red emulsion (Brand 5, vinegar and water).
Summary and Conclusions
Nutrient molecules must be in solution, i.e. fully dissolved, in order for absorption to occur. All tests performed with leading brands of multi-vitamin supplement tablets demonstrated that the tablets disintegrated to varying degrees, but they did not dissolve. The disintegration resulted in the appearance of a thick, chalky precipitate. The AMA suggests that if a tablet does not dissolve after 30 minutes, then it is probably not dissolving in the stomach and is not being absorbed.
The waste/fillers that were found in these pills
· Milk/sugar fillers
· Gum
· Coating
· Glue
· Lubricants
· Wax
· Plasticizer
· Sand
· Yellow and red dye
· Milk/sugar fillers
· Gum
· Coating
· Glue
· Lubricants
· Wax
· Plasticizer
· Sand
· Yellow and red dye
DO THE TEST YOURSELF
This simple test allows you to test the rate at which various brands of vitamin pills dissolve and are absorbed by the body.
Vitamin Pill Absorption Test
1. Place a vitamin pill in a shallow, clear container.
2. Next, pour enough white table vinegar into the container so that the pill is completely covered. (A test standard as set by the American Medical Association.)
3. After you've poured the vinegar into the container, set a timer for one-half hour (30 mins).
4. After one-half hour has passed, check the container and look at the vitamin pill. How much of pill has dissolved? (By dissolved, we mean has the pill disappeared in the vinegar, the way sugar or salt "disappears" in water).
What does the pill look like?
Can you still see the outline of the pill's original shape?
Is the white vinegar still clear, or has it become cloudy from the pill's dyes and fillers?
5. If the vitamin pill hasn't broken down completely and become part of the vinegar solution in thirty minutes, the nutrients it contains are probably not getting absorbed in your digestive tract. The undissolved parts of the pill will be flushed from your system, and the nutrients in it will be wasted
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